Mind Readers
by midori hakkai
Summary: Goku and Gojyo save an old man who grants them a wish: the ability to read Hakkai's mind! At that time he was thinking about his past and whether or not he should continue to live...
1. Hakkai\'s Solitude

Chapter One: Hakkai's Solitude

Setting: Hakkai's room

Time: 10am, Togenkyo time

"Here you go, Hakkai."

"Arigato gozaimasu, Gojyo."

Hakkai reached forward and took the box Gojyo was holding out. The pillow beside him fell off the side of the bed as he did. Goku stooped down and held it back at him.

"Arigato, Goku. Are you sure you're alright without me?"

"Hai hai, Hakkai-san! Don't worry about us, just take your rest!"

Hakkai leaned back on his pillow. Gojyo and Goku were watching him. He looked away. He didn't want them to worry about his condition. He was feeling okay, although he had already finished a whole box of tissues. Besides, the doctor said his fever won't last very long. Just a couple of days or so. But Hakkai didn't like being bedridden. He felt that he was responsible for everything.

Sitting outside was Sanzo, reading his newspaper as usual, smoking his tenth pack of cigarettes. Or so they thought. Sanzo was staring at the paper, his eyes transfixed on a specific part. He was just too stubborn to show that he was worried about Hakkai's condition too. He didn't really get sick for this long, he thought. Something's probably bothering him…

Earlier that day:

at the inn, dinnertime

"What do you want for dinner, Goku?" Hakkai called out from the kitchen.

"Dinner?" Goku's eager face peered out at him from the door. "I want sukiyaki!"

"Sukiyaki! Again?" Gojyo entered the kitchen, an annoyed expression on his face. "Don't you want anything else?"

Hakkai chuckled. They have had sukiyaki for the past three days. Gojyo was already complaining of throwing up; Sanzo didn't care and Goku---well, he wouldn't really mind, as long as it's edible.

"Sukiyaki! Sukiyaki!" Goku cheered, a big wide smile plastered on his chibi face. "Sukiyaki! Sukiya---OI, ERO KAPPA!"

Gojyo covered Goku's mouth and tried to drag him out of the kitchen. Goku flailed his arms wildly, legs kicking the air. "LET ME GO, YOU STUPID COCKROACH! HEY HAKKAI, SUKIYAKI OK?"

"Stop it with that sukiyaki thing, bakasaru!"

"Don't call me 'bakasaru'!"

"Why, isn't that true?"

"Of course it's not, ero kappa!"

"Oh yes it is!"

"No it's not!"

"It is!"

"It's not!"

"URUSAI!"

Sanzo's voice echoed across the walls. He was sitting in the living room, a long distance away from the kitchen. He raised his shourejyu in the air and fired a warning shot.

"I'M TELLING YOU---IF YOU GUYS DON'T SHUT UP I'M SERIOUSLY GONNA KILL YOU!"

Sanzo lowered his shourejyu again. Those two really get my blood pressure up, he thought. He listened intently for any sound of noise. Gojyo and Goku covered each other's mouths and were quietly heading for the exit.

Good, he thought. They finally stopped bickering.

"Oi, Hakkai, you done yet?"

"Nearly." Hakkai called out.

"Hurry up. I want to rest."

"Okay."

Hakkai went back to his cooking. Those three really don't appreciate my effort, he thought. Hakkai this, Hakkai that. When are they gonna learn…

He shivered. It was really getting chilly tonight, even though he was at the stove. And he was feeling pretty tired. Today they drove for a long time before they finally found an inn. And he had barely sat down when it was dinnertime once again.

What's wrong with me today? I don't feel like myself…but then again, I don't really show it.

The ladle suddenly slipped out of his hand, splashing the soup all over his clothes. He raised the bowl. He was feeling unnaturally weak today. That's the third time he dropped anything light. It was getting really odd.

"Hakkai?"

Gojyo peeked in the kitchen. He saw Hakkai holding the bowl and the soup all over his clothes.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. I just lost control of the ladle, that's all." His vision was blurry. He was sweating very hard now, and he was feeling extremely cold. The next thing he knew he collapsed on the floor, the bowl flying out of his hands, and he could no longer see a thing. The last thing he remembered was someone shouting, the sound of running footsteps, and voices calling his name, before he completely passed out.

"Goku! Sanzo! Hakkai collapsed!"

"What!"

Footsteps were echoing across the room. Gojyo was sure it was coming towards the kitchen. Sure enough, Goku ran towards Gojyo, who was still standing there at the kitchen door looking at his friend. He was pale and his eyes were panic-stricken.

Goku ran towards Hakkai and checked his condition.

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know. I was asking him if anything was wrong, then he suddenly fainted! Hey, check if he has a fever or something!"

Goku placed a hand on Hakkai's forehead. Then he gasped.

"No, I don't believe it…Gojyo, call a doctor! His fever's really serious!"

Gojyo turned a bit more paler at his words. He muttered a quick "Okay," and ran out of the room to look for a doctor.

"What's wrong with him, Goku?"

It was Sanzo. He had finally arrived and he was standing against the wall, his face expressionless.

"Sanzo! Hakkai collapsed and his fever is really high, I told Gojyo to get a doctor!" Goku said, breathless. He stared in surprise, a bit irritated at seeing Hakkai like this and Sanzo just standing there looking like he doesn't care.

Sanzo looked at him. Then he said, "Ch. You told Gojyo? I never knew you could think of such a brilliant idea. And I can't believe that that ero kappa did what you told him."

"Sanzo, this is serious! What are we gonna do?" Goku was shouting now, and he was trying hard not to strangle that emotionless and insensitive monk. What's the matter with him? he thought. If Hakkai dies he won't even care!

Sanzo stared at him. Then he turned away. "Put him down on his bed. We'll just have to wait for the doctor." He walked off back towards his room.

"Oi, Sanzo!" Goku called, "His room's up two flights of stairs!"

"Carry him, then," Sanzo said carelessly.

"But he's heavy! Help me carry him---oi, Sanzo! SANZO!"

But the monk had already closed the door and locked it. Goku dragged Hakkai towards the stairs, muttering to himself. "Darn it, he always leaves things up to me!" He looked up the stairs, groaned loudly, and started climbing, Hakkai in tow.

Finally, after ten minutes…

"I'm here. I thought I'll never make it. If you weren't so good, Hakkai, I would have probably left you down there." Hakkai made no reply, as he was still unconscious. Goku sighed, and then he pushed the door open.

Gojyo was already there, together with the doctor. Sanzo was sitting out on the balcony reading newspapers and smoking. They looked at him.

"At last you're here! What took you so long, bakasaru!" Gojyo called out.

"Don't call me that! And Hakkai's heavy too, you know! You could have helped me carry him!" Goku replied angrily, panting.

"Well, I just walked three kilometers to get to the doctor's house and now YOU expect me to help you? Ha! Forget it!"

Sanzo took out his gun and fired another warning shot.

"URUSAI! Why don't you stop that bickering so Hakkai could be examined!"

"Fine, fine, don't get all annoyed." Gojyo retorted, looking at Sanzo. The doctor moved forward and started taking out his instruments. Goku looked curiously at the instruments and Gojyo, sensing trouble, instinctively moved between the doctor and Goku. Sanzo had turned back to his reading.

The doctor was quiet most of the time during the examination. Hakkai was still unconscious and was breathing very slowly. His pulse was slow too. It looked like he had been in a critical situation.

After a few minutes…

"Well," said the doctor, removing his stethoscope after the check-up, "It was a good thing you called me. He had already gone to my clinic before when you got here and I remember telling him to take a rest. Looks like he didn't listen." He sighed. "Anyway, just give him these medicines and tell him to take a rest, for about two days. This time if he won't follow he might suffer serious complications. And he'll probably catch a cold tonight. Give him plenty of liquids and don't do anything to make him tired."

"Okay." Gojyo said.

"I'll be in my clinic if you need me."

"Okay. Thanks, doctor."

The door slammed shut as the doctor left the room. Gojyo was looking down on the floor. Goku was observing Sanzo, who was still outside at this time of the night. It was unnaturally quiet.

Finally Goku broke the silence.

"Hey, Gojyo, now who's gonna make the dinner? Harahetta," he whined.

"Bakasaru! After what happened to Hakkai you're still thinking about food!" Gojyo shouted.

"Of course! I carried him for two flights of stairs, he should be thankful!"

"Well, I fetched the doctor three kilometers away from here! He should thank ME!"

Suddenly something gold and flashy whizzed through the air and hit Goku right in the face. It knocked him off the bed, where he was teetering dangerously, and landed down on the floor.

"Itai! What was that?" Goku complained, rubbing the spot where he was hit.

He looked around on the floor. "Sanzo--your credit card?" he said in surprise, picking it up.

Sanzo looked up from his newspaper. "Go get something to eat. And get Hakkai his medicine." Goku stared at him. Gojyo didn't move.

"Seriously, Sanzo?" Goku asked, bewildered.

"What happened to you!" Gojyo asked unbelievingly. "Since when did our great Sanzo-sama ever care for his companions?"

They both ran outside at the same time as a shower of bullets rained down on them.

Almost an hour has passed since the doctor left and still Hakkai lay asleep. Gojyo was watching over him. Goku was right beside him, yawning widely. Sanzo was already in his room sleeping. He had instructed the two of them to keep watch.

Finally Hakkai stirred. He rolled over and slowly opened his eyes. He looked weary. His green eyes were still a blur.

"Gojyo? Goku? What happened?"

Gojyo sighed, obviously relieved by Hakkai waking up. Goku stood up and checked Hakkai's fever again. He smiled.

"Well, your fever's gone down at last." Goku took out a pill and handed it to Hakkai. "Here. The doctor told us you should drink this. Don't worry, it doesn't taste bad! It's actually strawberry-flavored."

"He couldn't resist taking one," Gojyo explained. "He said he'll check if it was poisonous or not, but I know he just wanted to eat. Again."

"No I don't!" Goku protested. Hakkai chuckled.

"I'm fine. I don't need to take any medicine. Have you eaten? I can prepare some midnight snack if you want." As he said this Hakkai made to get off the bed, but Gojyo pushed him back.

"No. The doctor said you should take a rest. For two days in fact. Just leave it up to us. We could survive, don't worry!"

"But---"

"No, Hakkai," Goku said firmly. "The sooner you get better, the sooner you can cook me some food again!"

"Why you bakasaru! Is food the only thing you think about!" Gojyo remarked angrily.

"I was just giving Hakkai some advice!" Goku shouted.

"Alright, alright, I'll rest," Hakkai said, drawing the sheets up again. "You should go get some sleep too. Sorry if I troubled you."

"Nah, it's alright," Gojyo said, heading for the door, "Sanzo's paying anyway."

"Right. We'll be going now, Hakkai!" Goku jumped up and followed Gojyo out of the room. "Don't think too much!"

"I won't." Hakkai smiled at them as Goku closed the door.

It was a dark night. Rain had started to fall slowly, quietly. The window was open, and the night breeze was filling the entire room. Hakkai got out of bed and leaned out the window. The sky was dotted with countless stars amidst the slight shower of rain. He sighed. It had been a long time since he last thought deeply about his past. I won't forget it, he thought. It's a part of me, however hard I try to erase all the memories of the past.

It was Kanan's death day that night. He couldn't stop thinking about her that day. Of course Gojyo didn't notice it. He always had everyone fooled by that deceiving smile of his. It was hard work, pretending to be happy when your insides are burning up with pain. But he had mastered the art. There was no person alive who could top his feat.

He looked out the window. There was no one in the street now. He listened for any kind of sound. Gojyo was already snoring in the next room. Goku was sleeping soundly, judging from the loudness of his snores that might have even topped Gojyo's. There was no sound at all from Sanzo's room, so Hakkai thought that everyone was already asleep.

He got back to bed and drew the sheets tightly around him. He couldn't sleep. Everytime he closed his eyes Kanan would appear. She lingered on for quite some time, smiling happily at him, before her image was replaced by the memory of that fateful night, when she was kidnapped and committed suicide. Each time Hakkai would wake up, sweating hard, a few tears in his eyes. And each time the rest of the Sanzo-ikkou failed to notice what was happening to him.

He took the pill Goku left him. It was strawberry-flavored, just like what Goku said. He looked at the label. It warned of causing drowsiness as a side effect. Great, he thought. A sleeping pill. Just what I need. He rested his head on the pillow and looked at the ceiling, thinking deeply. How long will he have to pretend to smile?

He sighed. He recalled all the happy days he had with Kanan. It was all a blur now. Everything happened so quickly, it was as if Kanan was just a dream. Maybe it was. A beautiful dream that wasn't meant to stay…

He closed his eyes and tried to sleep. It was another agonizing thirty minutes of solitude before he finally fell asleep, tears shimmering as he slept.


	2. Wish

Hey there! Sorry this took a while to update; school's just started here in the Philippines so I really need to concentrate on my studying. I'll probably update this fic every week. Thank you so much to saiyuki girl, Ondesxavier, and saiyukiforever907for your reviews! You guys gave me the inspiration I needed!

DISCLAIMER (finally I remembered to put it here): I do not own Saiyuki even though I desperately want to.

Chapter Two: Wish

The next morning…

"Here you go, Hakkai."

"Arigato gozaimasu, Gojyo."

Hakkai reached forward and took the box Gojyo was holding out. He had developed a cold overnight. This was already his second box of tissues.

"Are you sure you're alright without me?"

"Hai hai, Hakkai-san! Don't worry about us, just take your rest." Goku smiled at him.

"And since you're not feeling well today, Hakkai, Goku and I will need to do the shopping." Gojyo proudly declared.

"I see. Well then, be sure to be back before noon."

"Okay! And don't you try getting out of your room, Hakkai, you still need to recover! See you later!" Goku cheerfully waved at him and closed the door.

"I think we'll need to lock this," Gojyo whispered to Goku when they were outside Hakkai's room. "Just in case…"

"But what if he needs to go outside?" Goku asked. He was looking at Gojyo innocently.

"He won't need anything. He's already got water and food in there. And there's a bathroom too." Gojyo paused, and pressed his ear against the door to check if Hakkai was listening. Then he faced Goku again. "So…what do you think?"

"Okay. But you're the one responsible if we get caught!" Goku said, taunting Gojyo with an annoying voice.

"Okay, okay. Whatever," Gojyo replied irritatingly. He grasped the doorknob and slowly, quietly locked the door. Then they pressed their ears to the door again, and giving each other a slight nod, hurried out of the inn.

Inside his room, Hakkai smiled. Those two, he thought. They shouldn't have bothered.

xXx

The sun was blazing overhead as the two entered the market. It was full of people; apparently one of the stores had a sale today.

"Wow, look at that! Meatbuns on sale!" Goku eagerly pointed this out to Gojyo, who smirked.

"C'mon, saru, keep moving! That's not on the shopping list!" Gojyo said, trying to pull Goku away, but he resisted and started walking to the store.

"But Hakkai lets me buy stuff like this! Come on, please!" Goku begged, looking up at Gojyo with a wide-eyed, innocent face. "Pleease!" Gojyo sighed.

"Alright, get in and we'll do this as fast as we can!" Gojyo muttered, scowling as he was dragged by a salivating Goku into the store. "And stop drooling, will ya?"

After thirty minutes they emerged, panting, breathing heavily, and carrying their purchases with them. The sun was now scorching hot and unfortunately this was the day when they forgot to bring Hakuryu with them.

"I…don't know shopping could be…this tiring," Goku said, breathing heavily.

"I wonder how Hakkai can do this stuff so easily," Gojyo remarked. Then he thought again. "Or maybe he's just pretending. After he stayed at my place for a couple of years I still can't understand that guy! You never know what he's thinking when he smiles like that, it's getting so creepy."

"Yeah, and it bugs me. Do you really think that he doesn't get annoyed at us?" Goku asked.

"How should I know? He never speaks a word!" Gojyo muttered angrily. "Anyway, let's go back. Hakkai might be up and preparing lunch already."

"That's the best idea you've had today, ero kappa." Goku smirked.

Gojyo stopped and glared at Goku. "Don't call me ero kappa, you bakasaru!"

"Who're you calling bakasaru, eh?" Goku retorted, facing Gojyo.

"Who else could that be?"

"Why you----!"

"Give up your stuff, old man."

They both turned around. Gojyo looked annoyed; his eyes were squinted and he was turning red with anger. "Who's the old man, huh? Oh," he said, when he realized that he wasn't being talked to. "Sorry."

"Hahahaha! You admit you're an old man?" Goku laughed, his eyes watering with joy. He couldn't stop laughing. "Gojyo's an old man, Gojyo's an old man, Gojyo's---"

"Will you stop that, bakasaru!" Gojyo shouted, turning red with embarrassment. He looked around to see who had spoken.

Three gangsters were cornering an elderly man who was crouched against the wall in fear. The leader grinned evilly at the man.

"Sorry, but we need to live." He said, smiling almost apologetically. He drew his weapon. The two beside him took out their weapons too. "Sayonara." He swung his weapon upwards and aimed at the old man.

"NYOIBOU!"

The group spun around. "What the---?"

Goku leapt out onto them and began attacking the boys. He hit the small one right on the head, and he instantly fell unconscious. The leader looked at his fallen comrade and then at Goku, who was advancing slowly on them.

"You shouldn't do that to elder people, you know." Goku said quietly, charging down on them.

"Let's go!" the leader shouted to his friend, scrambling away from Goku. They both ran away, dragging their beaten friend behind them. It was over in just a matter of seconds.

"Well done, baka, well done."

Gojyo clapped slowly, walking towards Goku. "I didn't think you could beat them up without killing them." He smiled at the old man, who cowered in fear at the sight of the bloodred eyes staring at him.

Goku frowned. "Hey, don't scare him! Don't worry, we're here to help you!" He added, smiling kindly at the old man. "Here, let me help you up!"

"T-thank you…" the old man whispered, wide-eyed. Goku helped him back to his feet. "Thank you very much! Is there any way I could pay you back?"

"Nah, don't bother. We're used to saving people anyway," Gojyo said, shaking his head. "Alright, we'll be leaving now, and don't get yourself in any more trouble!" He started to walk away, Goku following behind.

"Wait!" The old man called back. Goku turned. "I'll give you something."

Goku was saying, "Really, it was nothing---" but the old man cut him off. "No," he said, "this is something you guys could really use."

"What are you talking about?" Gojyo asked, turning around.

"I can grant you a wish," the old man said. "Anything you ask for. I'm not joking."

"A wish?" Goku repeated, eyes glowing with happiness. "Sugoi! I want---"

"A wish, eh?" Gojyo said, snorting. "It wouldn't hurt to try. Alright, we wish that my friends---" Goku looked at him disgustingly "----I mean, my companions would like to read my friend Hakkai's mind."

Goku gasped. "Read Hakkai's mind? But that's…that's private stuff, Gojyo!"

Gojyo thought about it. Then he said, "Alright then, I just wish that I'll have lots of ladies and---" Goku gave a loud "Ehem!" ---and that this bakasaru will be given food. Whatever."

The old man suddenly stopped chanting and looked up. "You could have told me that sooner. I've already finished chanting and it's irreplaceable."

"WHAT?"

"Nice going, Gojyo," Goku spat at him, who was momentarily shocked.

"Oh well, "Gojyo shrugged. "If we don't tell him it'll be fine."

The old man continued, "The spell will last for a week. I cannot change it anymore. I hope you liked what you wished for, my friend." He turned away from them and vanished.

Goku stared at the empty spot for a moment. Then he smiled and said, "Come on, we need to go! Let's see if this thing does work!"


	3. Inside the Mind of the EverSmiling Man

Chapter Three: Inside the Mind of the Ever-Smiling Man

Back at the inn, Hakkai was getting restless. He wasn't used to staying in bed for more than seven hours a day. He looked at the clock. It was a quarter before noon.

"Where are they?" Hakkai wondered aloud. "I wonder if anything happened to them."

Maybe I should go take a look, he thought. I'm feeling a bit better now. He tossed the blankets aside and arranged a small pile of pillows under it. Then he draped his blanket over them and stepped back to admire his handiwork. It looked perfect.

Great, he thought. They'll never find out the difference. He slowly crept towards the door, took out his extra keys and opened the door.

He peered slowly out the corridor. No one was there. He stepped outside and locked the door again. Wonderful, he thought. No one's ever gonna find out I left my room. Then he started heading for the kitchen.

Still outside the balcony Sanzo was smoking, reading today's newspaper. He didn't notice Hakkai slipping out of his room. He didn't even bother checking up on him. Hakkai's disciplined, he thought, unlike those two idiots I travel with. He knows what's good for him.

_Wonderful. No one's ever gonna find out I left my room._

Sanzo started, his eyes widening. "What the----?" _That's Hakkai's voice!_ He looked around, trying to see if Hakkai was anywhere nearby. _Nothing._ _But I heard it. I'm sure it was him. _He tried to calm down and took out a cigarette. Then he focused his attention back to the paper but his eyes were twitching nervously.

_Hmm…now what should I cook for them?_

Sanzo dropped the paper he was holding. The cigarette lay on his hand, unlit. _It's impossible! Hakkai's not here, but I just heard him! _He looked around desperately this time, trying to find an answer to what he thought was madness. Still no Hakkai. He was all alone on the balcony. No one ever dared to disturb a Sanzo when he's busy.

_It's so difficult to think when I'm sick! But don't show it, Hakkai, or they'll force you on the bed again. Don't even say anything out loud. It's better to just think of it. At least no one knows what I'm really thinking. Just give 'em the old smile and that's that._

The little color that remained in the monk's face disappeared. It was clear now, however silly or mad it may be…_I understand what he's thinking._

_But how?_ Sanzo jolted upright at this. How could he possibly hear what Hakkai is thinking? There must be some kind of explanation. He grasped his cigarette and lit it, exhaling deeply. He picked up his paper and tried to ignore that little voice in his head that was Hakkai's. _Maybe when those two come back, I may not be the only one…_

Still outside, Goku ran down the remaining steps leading to the inn. He was so excited to hear what Hakkai was thinking. Behind him was Gojyo, equally eager and was grinning widely.

"Hmm…I wonder what Hakkai's thinking right now," he said, laughing. "I can't wait!"

"Well, hurry up, ero kappa, we're about to find out!" Goku called, climbing up the last steps and entering the inn.

"Should we go up and check on him first?" Gojyo said, mockingly. "Or should we just stay here and read his mind?"

"Let's go up," Goku proposed. He started to climb up the stairs. "But I'll check on Sanzo first."

"Yeah, and let's tell him what we wished for," Gojyo said.

They reached the second floor landing and headed to the balcony where Sanzo was still nervously reading the paper.

"Oi, Sanzo!"

Sanzo looked behind him. Goku waved at him, smiling, and Gojyo was grinning at him.

"What's so funny?" he asked coldly. _Should I ask them about Hakkai?_

"Oi, Sanzo, you won't believe what we just got today," Gojyo said, smiling widely.

"And what's that? Don't tell me you managed to get a girl for once."

"It's not that!" Gojyo shouted, irritated. "And for your information, the great Sha Gojyo can get a girl anytime he wants. That's a well-known fact, my bald friend."

"Ch."

"Anyway, Sanzo," Goku said cheerfully, "How's Hakkai?"

Sanzo froze. _Should I tell them? No I shouldn't. Those idiots won't understand._ "I don't know. Why don't you go check up on him, then?"

"No need," Goku said smugly. "We'll just hear him."

Sanzo spun around, eyes wide open. "What do you mean?"

Gojyo laughed at the monk's reaction. "We can read his mind, you idiot!"

_Read his mind? So that means I'm not the only one._ Sanzo relaxed when he heard this, and some of the color started coming back to his face. "How?"

"Well, we saved this old man from being beaten up, and he granted us a wish! Gojyo wanted us to hear whatever Hakkai's thinking, so he gave it to us! One week unlimited!" Goku boasted, smiling widely.

_What?_ Sanzo thought, vein throbbing wildly, his eyes squinted in anger. _It was them?_ "You idiots! You just disturbed his privacy, and now I get involved in your dirty mess! Tell whoever it was to take it off! NOW!"

Goku smiled apologetically. "Sorry, Sanzo! That guy said it can't be changed."

"WHAT?"

"Well, it's better than not understanding his needs at all, especially since he's sick!" Gojyo said hurriedly.

"YOU IDIOTS!"

A bullet narrowly missed Gojyo's left cheek, and barely a second after that he had to dodge a rain of bullets from the trigger-happy monk.

"NEXT TIME THINK ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR ACTIONS BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING!"

"Whatever," Gojyo said. And he had to scramble away to dodge another flood of bullets.

"Yes, sir, whatever you say!"

"Don't shoot like that, it gets dangerous!"

Downstairs, at the kitchen…

Hakkai stopped stirring the soup. He thought he heard a noise upstairs. It sounded like gunshots. That was definitely Sanzo's. But why would he do that? There were no youkai, Hakkai was sure of that. He felt no evil presence. And Goku and Gojyo's at the market, they couldn't bother him. Unless…

_Oh no! Goku and Gojyo are probably here! They'll be checking up on me any minute now!_

Hakkai immediately hid the soup and quickly but quietly climbed the stairs. He checked to see if anyone was there, hurriedly opened the door, locked himself in, then he sank down on his bed. He sighed in relief. _No one will notice a thing. I hope._

Still on the balcony…

"Did you hear that?"

Gojyo was frowning slightly. Sanzo and Goku looked at him.

"Was that…Hakkai?" Goku asked, unbelievingly.


	4. Consequences

Hey everyone! Here's the next part of the story! This chap will contain some thoughts Hakkai has about his companions. They may be quite different from the Hakkai we know, but please don't take it seriously! He's my favorite character so I wouldn't really alter his personality or anything. Please tell me if you liked this chap, okay? Read and review!

**Chapter Four: Consequences**

"I think so," Gojyo replied. He was dumbfounded. "I can't believe it. We actually heard him think!"

"Sugoi!" Goku shouted, grinning.

"If you listened carefully," Sanzo was saying, "He just sai---thought, that he went back to his room."

"You heard it too, Sanzo?" Goku asked, mouth slightly open.

"I heard him this morning. He said----darn it, it's confusing---thought, that he went out of his room." Sanzo replied coolly, taking another cigarette. "Hurry up, check on him, I think he went to cook lunch."

"Okay," Goku said, walking away, "But Gojyo, I thought you locked his room!"

"I did, but---wait a minute, "Gojyo muttered angrily, running alongside Goku, "I forgot! He had the extra keys!"

"What!" Goku shouted. "You stupid cockroach!"

"Don't call me that, bakasaru!"

"But it's true!"

"No it's not! It isn't my fault if he's so smart!"

They soon reached Hakkai's room. Everything was quiet. Goku pressed his ear against the door. "There's no sound. He's probably asleep. Or pretending to be asleep."

"Let's see." Gojyo quietly unlocked the door and pushed it open. They peered inside. Hakkai was lying on the bed, looking out the window. His breathing was heavy and he looked tired. He turned to them when they came in and smiled.

"You're early. It's not even eleven yet."

"Well, we finished the shopping pretty quickly," Gojyo replied. "So, what did you do when we were gone?" _He looks out of breath. That means he did go downstairs._

"Nothing, really," Hakkai said. "It's pretty boring when you two aren't creating such a racket." _Just in time. A few more minutes and they would have caught me out of bed._

Goku's eyes widened. "What did you say, Hakkai?" _He was out of bed? He lied?_

Hakkai looked startled. "I didn't say anything, Goku. Maybe you're just tired."

"Oh yes, we're just tired, "Gojyo quickly replied, shooting a warning look at Goku. "We'll take a rest okay, then we'll prepare lunch and bring you some food up." he said, moving towards the door.

"Oh no, I'm going down," Hakkai said quickly, throwing the sheets off him and climbing out of bed. "I feel much better now." _And I hate being bedridden. It makes me feel weak and worthless. So weak, I couldn't protect someone before…_

Gojyo looked surprised. Beside him, Goku gasped. Now there's something you don't hear from Hakkai everyday.

Hakkai looked surprised. "What's the matter? Did I say anything wrong?"

"No, it's just that we were, um, concerned whether you should go down or not." Gojyo hastily replied. Then he turned quietly to Goku as Hakkai stared at the window again, his brow furrowed.

"Goku, should we allow him?" Gojyo whispered. He looked uneasy. "If you heard him…"

Goku stayed quiet. He was following Hakkai's movements with his eyes. _He really hated being useless._ "I think we should." he finished quietly.

"Alright then, Hakkai," Gojyo said loudly. "But don't strain yourself. If you can't make it downstairs we'll just bring your lunch up."

Hakkai stopped staring out and smiled at them. "You guys go on. I'll just change."

"Okay," Goku said, walking out of the room. "Come on, Gojyo!"

"We'll be downstairs, Hakkai," Gojyo called out. Then they closed the door and headed downstairs, Hakkai's thoughts pounding in their heads.

Hakkai looked at them go. He sighed and looked back out the window. _It's amazing how they allowed me to do what I want. They're finally beginning to understand. But I don't really know if I want them to understand or not. Sometimes I want someone to know how I feel, but sometimes I want to keep it all to myself._

The wind was cool today, despite it being noon. The leaves rustled as the breeze blew past it. Hakkai felt a bit better today than last night. _Maybe today will be better._ He sighed deeply, turned away from the window, and headed downstairs.

Sanzo was on his way to the dining room when he heard Hakkai's voice in his head. He thought it felt strange to hear Hakkai actually speaking his mind. Although this of course wasn't voluntary. Hakkai seems so mysterious, he thought, walking down the hallway. _He smiles but he doesn't mean it._ _Maybe Gojyo's right. Knowing what Hakkai's thinking right now could help._ He suddenly stopped walking. _No way. It was stupid of me to think like that._ But as much as he didn't want to admit it, he was quite interested to learn what goes on in Hakkai's head.

Goku was quietly sitting at the dinner table downstairs at the kitchen. Gojyo was reheating some leftover soup they had last night. They were both dumbstruck at what they had heard. _I never knew Hakkai's such a sad person_, Goku thought. _He always looks so happy. I didn't think he would feel that way._

Gojyo was carelessly stirring the soup. He didn't realize that it was already burning. _I wonder if that wish was a good idea. Sure, we can understand him now, but his thoughts are private. And I'm feeling guilty for having invaded his privacy. But I can't take that back now. _

Their thinking was interrupted when Sanzo entered the kitchen. Goku looked up. Sanzo was emotionless as ever, but there was worry in his eyes that he didn't see before. He figured that he also heard what Hakkai thought about a while ago.

"Sanzo…"Goku began. Sanzo stayed quiet. "Did you hear…?"

"Yes," Sanzo replied quietly. "I heard him."

"Heard who?"

They both turned around. Hakkai was standing at the doorway, a smile plastered on his face. A smile that they now know is just a disguise for hiding his pain…

"Who did you hear, Sanzo?" Hakkai inquired cheerfully. He didn't seem to notice Gojyo standing there panic-stricken and Goku searching his brain for what to say.

"Um…Gojyo! Sanzo heard Gojyo saying he'd like meatbuns!" Goku replied quickly, casting a quick glance at Gojyo. "Right, Gojyo?"

Gojyo looked angrily at Goku but he quickly changed his expression when Hakkai turned to him. "Yes, that's right! We bought a couple at the market today, see?"

"Oh. Well then, shall we eat lunch?" Hakkai said politely, sitting down. _They've been acting strange since they got from the market._

Goku looked alarmed; Gojyo was shaking nervously and Sanzo was trying ever so hard to keep his composure. Gojyo managed to pull himself together and served the soup he had been stirring a while ago.

"Here you go," Gojyo muttered hurriedly. "Eat up." He sat down at the table and started eating his fill.

Gojyo's eyes widened. The soup tasted horrible; it was burnt and Gojyo had added too many ingredients that weren't on the recipe. Goku choked on the first scoop but didn't say a word; Sanzo was eating less than usual and didn't even fill up his spoon. He had a nasty expression on his face. Hakkai hesitated for a moment, and then he scooped some up and tasted it.

"So, how was it, Hakkai?" Gojyo asked, trying to ignore the taste of his own soup. "You like it?"

"It's okay," Hakkai managed to say, forcing the soup down his throat. "Could do a bit of improvement, but otherwise it's fine." _What is this? Vomit? Does he **seriously** think he can cook? I can't believe Goku can take this stuff!_

Gojyo was wide-eyed at this, seemingly horrified; Goku was trying hard not to laugh but he kept failing and laughed quietly, and a faint smile line was seen on Sanzo's face. Fortunately Hakkai was concentrating on ignoring the taste that he didn't notice their reactions.

"Soup tastes fine, ne, Hakkai?" Goku asked cheerfully, looking happily at a frustrated Gojyo.

"Mm," Hakkai nodded, trying to finish up his bowl quickly. _Halfway there, Hakkai, nearly there! Come on, you could do it! Just a few more sips and this evil concoction will be gone!_

At this Gojyo turned red with embarrassment at the same time that Goku burst out laughing. Sanzo was trying hard not to smile but his eyes showed it all. Hakkai was startled and looked up to see Goku rolling on the floor, laughing wildly, and Gojyo was shouting at him to cut it out.

"What's the matter, Goku?" he asked, puzzled. _The world is turning weirder everyday. Even Sanzo's smiling. I think that monk's just pretending to be cool. But does he seriously think girls will be after him with that ridiculous robe of his?_

Goku stopped rolling on the floor and glanced at Sanzo. The blond monk was staring at Hakkai, annoyed. This time it was Gojyo's turn to laugh.

"What's the matter with you guys?" Hakkai asked. He was more puzzled than ever. First Goku, now Gojyo. Next thing you know Sanzo will be laughing his head off.

"Well, it was just—never mind," Gojyo said, still laughing. "Don't worry, we're not going mad or anything. It was just something we talked about earlier."

"Oh," Hakkai replied. "I see."

They continued to eat their lunch in utter silence. Gojyo was looking at Hakkai, embarrassed about what he had heard. Goku was still smiling as he ate the soup. Sanzo was trying to forget what Hakkai had thought of him.

Hakkai suddenly stood up. "Well then, I'm going back to my room. Thanks for the lunch."

They looked at his bowl. It wasn't even half-empty.

Hakkai smiled at them and dashed off to his room. _I couldn't take it anymore! Bathroom! Where is it? Oh there, at last!_ He sped off down the hallway and into a certain room.

The three heard the sound of a door shut noisily upstairs. Then, as if on cue, Goku started laughing.

"Did you hear that, Gojyo? He needed the bathroom to get rid of your soup!" Goku managed to say in between laughs.

"Stop it now, monkey," Gojyo said, turning red. "You nearly got us caught there. Good thing I was able to make up an excuse."

"And what a lame excuse that was, kappa," Sanzo retorted, lighting a cigarette. "I doubt someone like Hakkai could easily fall for that."

"At least I don't wear a _ridiculous_ robe like yours," Gojyo spat at him, as Goku continued laughing. "Even Hakkai thought it was girly."

BAM! A shower of bullets rained down on them in different directions. Goku managed to scramble away in time to save his meatbuns. Gojyo dodged them as best as he could. "Hah! You even shoot like a girl!" And of course, that remark caused more bullets to rain down on them.

Upstairs, in his bedroom…

"Yare yare desu ne," Hakkai said, shaking his head at the sound of gunshots. "Those people never learn."

Author's note: And that's the end of chapter four! So, did you like it? Does it need improvement? Please tell me so I could write better! Flames are accepted as long as it's constructive criticism. I'm just starting to work on the next chapter so it might take a while to update. Till next time, ja mata ne! Reviews please and thank you!


	5. Losing Hope

Well, at last! I've finally managed to make chapter five! I have originally planned to end this story at five chaps but it's just too long, I had to cut it into smaller ones. We're nearing the end though…please read and review! Thanks so much to all those who reviewed!

**Chapter five: Losing Hope**

Hakkai had finally recovered from his fever and soon they were on the road again. The sun was shining brightly above them as they made their way through the rocky terrain. Gojyo and Goku were unusually quiet today, thinking about the past three days when they were able to hear Hakkai's thoughts. The first day was chaotic, not to mention funny. They all found out what Hakkai _really_ thinks of them. The second day was a bit depressing though. Hakkai was feeling down again, thinking about Kanan and his past. His thoughts weren't fun at all. It was rather disturbing and emotional. And for Sanzo's case, too corny. The third day was worse. For some reason Hakkai was feeling moody and smiled only when they looked at him. They actually caught him frowning off guard many times, which Hakkai tried to cover up. To no avail. And now that they've reached the fourth day they wondered what Hakkai will be thinking about.

"Harahetta…" Goku whined. "Are we there yet, Hakkai?"

"No, Goku, but we're near," Hakkai politely replied. _I do hope we're getting nearer. I'm getting tired myself._

"Hakkai, do you want to take a rest?" Sanzo asked, not looking at him.

"Huh?" Hakkai said, surprised. He nearly stepped on the brakes in amazement. Behind him, Goku and Gojyo were gaping at Sanzo, too stunned to speak.

"Never mind," Sanzo added hastily, "If you don't want to take a rest then let's just proceed."

"Okay," Hakkai said, turning back on the road. _He's acting strange. It's not like him to care about his companions._

They kept on going. Sanzo was thinking why he even said that out loud in the first place. Goku was dreaming about meatbuns and Gojyo—well, he's doing the only thing he could do.

Hakkai, meanwhile, was thinking, oblivious to the fact that the other three could actually hear him. The past three days had been rough for him. He was thinking about Kanan constantly and how much he missed her. He was also thinking back on that day when she died. When he killed a thousand demons to rescue her in vain. When he wanted to die…

"Hakkai?"

He snapped back to reality and turned around to see who had spoken. It was Gojyo. He looked worried for some reason.

"What is it, Gojyo?"

"It's—no, it's nothing, Hakkai. Sorry to bother you."

Gojyo leaned back. Beside him Goku was awakened, startled by Hakkai's thoughts. Sanzo was lighting a cigarette nervously. Gojyo didn't really have anything to say; he just wanted to disrupt Hakkai's thoughts before he could plan on doing what he's thinking of doing. _Hakkai's not like this. He's getting suicidal._

During the rest of the journey the Sanzo-ikkou shifted nervously in their seats. Sanzo was getting more and more worried about Hakkai though he wouldn't show it. Goku was still dumbstruck; he never thought Hakkai would consider things like that. Not now. Not that they all have developed a special kind of friendship, that even though he won't admit it himself, they surely have that. Not that they've all encountered different kinds of trials to strengthen their bonds. Not now that they've become close friends.

Gojyo was getting jitterier by the second. He knew that he would have to keep a close eye on Hakkai to prevent him from doing the unthinkable. _Maybe it was because of Kanan's death day that he wanted to end his life. It's not unusual. But he will pass through this. I hope._

The jeep suddenly came to a stop. They finally arrive at an inn. Goku eagerly jumped up and pretended to be extremely happy to throw Hakkai off guard. Gojyo started a fight with him like all mornings tend to start. And on cue, Sanzo took out his harisen and started hitting the pair of them.

Hakkai chuckled. _Maybe I don't want to die right now. With those three, they sure add to the life of the party._

The other three paused and stared at Hakkai, who was already heading inside the inn. They all sighed in relief, smiled slightly, and followed Hakkai inside. _Maybe he's not gonna succumb after all._

In fact, Hakkai was feeling considerably cheerful since they entered the town. Even his thoughts confirmed it. Gojyo was feeling quite better now, seeing his best friend recover from the shock of Kanan's death day. Goku was back to normal, eating a whole lot more food and Sanzo had somehow settled down and was back to reading the newspaper and smoking. They all seemed to get used to the idea of hearing Hakkai suddenly speaking in their minds.

The fourth day passed with nothing much to be concerned with, since Hakkai was feeling like his old cheerful self. But when the fifth day dawned, here was another new Hakkai. He was feeling depressed again.

_Why does he have to have mood swings?_ Gojyo thought angrily. _Yesterday he was already feeling cheerful. Now he's back to being suicidal._

Sanzo was outside reading the paper, Goku and Gojyo sitting nearby. Goku was getting more worried. They were woken up at 3am today because of Hakkai's thoughts echoing in their minds. He had been thinking hard about Kanan again…and whether or not he should continue living.

"Why don't we tell him?" Goku spoke up suddenly. "We could prevent this if we try to."

"Maybe we should," Gojyo agreed. "You…you don't want him to go, do you?"

"Of course not!" Goku said, shocked. "He's…he's a part of our lives now…"

Silence. The wind blew over them, rustling the leaves as it passed. On the opposite room, Hakkai was staring out the window, staring at the blue sky. He felt a sense of calm. _How peaceful. I long for something like this…_

He sighed. The tears were falling down again. He brushed away the tears, feeling torn in two. He couldn't decide. He doesn't know if he should stay with the people he had grown to care for, or to go and be reunited with the person he loves most. He longed to reach out for Kanan, to be with her again, but he was having a hard time letting go of what he has now. But a decision has to be made. It was now or never.

He looked out the window again. There was a forest a little to their right. It looked peaceful, judging by the way the majestic trees swayed to the cold breeze. It was perfect. _Tonight,_ he thought, _I will have decided._

"SANZO!"

Goku looked disbelievingly at Sanzo. The blond monk just stayed there, smoking. He was looking out the balcony and avoiding their gaze.

"I can't believe you! _Are you telling us to just leave Hakkai alone?_" Goku shouted angrily. He was on his feet now. Beside him Gojyo remained silent, staring off into space.

"You heard me. And you heard him. He wants to have the peace he has always longed for. Why deny him that joy?" Sanzo retorted quietly. He lit up another cigarette. "Let him do what he wants to do. It's his choice."

"But…"

"He's right, Goku."

Goku turned around, looking shocked. Gojyo was sitting quietly, staring out into the sky.

"Gojyo? But…you said…"

"I know. But it's best if we let him do what he wants to do. Do you think he wants to live a life like this, hiding his pain behind that smile of his?" Gojyo paused. He sighed. "Free him. Let him go." He was not looking at them as he said this. His voice was different. It was as if he was hiding something behind it.

Goku looked at the two of them. They were dead serious. Goku tried to look behind their eyes. Sanzo was expressionless but his eyes told Goku that he was worried about Hakkai too. Gojyo was the same. He kept shielding his eyes from Goku's and avoiding their gazes.

Goku stood up. "Fine. If that's what you guys want. But I'm going to prevent it if I can." And with that he stormed out of the balcony and into his room, slamming the door shut. Gojyo followed him with his eyes as he went, then he sighed and headed to his own room.

Dinner was a silent affair. Hakkai, immersed with his thoughts, didn't notice the lack of noise. Sanzo glanced at Hakkai once in a while, and then he stared back down at his food. The three of them weren't able to eat much. They were all nervous about their course of action.

Hakkai finally seemed to come to a decision. He stood up. "I'm going to bed." He was looking pale and close to tears but before they could look at him clearly he was gone. It was quiet for a few minutes after he left.

"Tonight's the night, then," Goku said quietly after a few minutes of silence.

Gojyo nodded silently. He still can't get over the fact that his best friend has finally decided to end it all tonight. And he could do nothing to stop it.

Goku stood up. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm following him tonight. I can't let something like this happen. We've already got the chance. Are we gonna waste it, and regret not doing anything afterwards?"

Gojyo remained silent. Sanzo shifted in his seat. It was clear that they were having a hard time coming to a decision. Goku looked at them silently, and then he sighed and headed up to his room. He flung himself on his bed and started planning.

Hakkai was sitting on the side of his bed, writing a letter to each one of them. The wind was blowing silently into the room, drying the tears that had started to run down his emerald green eyes. He wondered if this was the right thing to do. _I have no choice._ _I want to be with her again._ He stopped writing and reread his work. Then he carefully sealed it up and placed it gently on the table. He looked at it for a while, and then he stared out the window. The moon was hidden behind some dark clouds. Slowly raindrops began to fall down. It reminded him of the very night that changed his life. He glanced at the clock. It was a quarter before midnight. He sighed. _It's time. I must go._ He turned away from the window, glanced one more time at his letters, and slowly crept out into the rain.

Inside his room Goku bolted upright on his bed. He heard Hakkai opening the door and heading outside in the rain. _He's gone. I'll try to talk some sense into him. If Gojyo and Sanzo don't care, I do._ He slipped out off his bed and quietly made his way outside. Suddenly he heard a door slam behind him. He spun around.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"To save Hakkai from his insanity, of course."

It was Sanzo and Gojyo. They were heading out of their room at the same time that Goku had slipped out too.

"But why? I thought you guys wanted to leave him alone!"

"We thought about what you said," Gojyo explained quietly, avoiding Goku's gaze. "You're right. I can't afford to lose the only chance I've got to help him."

"I've told him before," Sanzo was saying, "dying won't change anything. It seems like he needed to hear it one more time."

Goku stared at them, eyes brimming with tears. "You're right. Let's go then."

They nodded slightly and followed Goku out into the rain, tears streaming as they ran…

Author's note: Well, how'd you like this one? Too emotional? Too corny? Please let me know! The next chapter's coming up… Anyway I really can't decide if Hakkai will die or not…I need your opinions! Thanks very much!


	6. Tears of the Sky

Hey guys, here's chapter six! I would like to thank those who reviewed: Storm Dragon Girl, AvengerRevengeVengeanceSisters, Illusions of Myth, Chris-Redfield26, kwaiiChan-chan and all those who read/reviewed my fic whom I wasn't able to mention. To Illusions of Myth, I'm really sorry but I've set the plot already and I've decided to end this story at seven chapters. And about your suggestion for an alternate ending, I wanted to set a definite ending to the story. Hope you understand.

I really like making this fic; even I'm excited about the ending (and I'm the author. Weird.) I hope you guys like this chap too! Review please and thank you!

**Chapter six: Tears of the Sky**

Hakkai hurried out into the rain. Water splashed around him as he ran into the forest. His monocle was getting soaked and his eyesight was getting blurry. _Never mind that now. It will be useless anyway._ He dived right in the forest and was soon surrounded by towering trees shielding him from the outside world. The rain was pouring harder now, closing in around him. _Just like that same, fateful night. Now it's my turn to go._ He stopped running and looked up. The sky was not showing any signs of stopping. He slowed down to catch his breath. _It's time._

Hakkai stood up. The branches of the trees were swaying violently as the wind passed by them. Raindrops hung on the leaves. It seemed like the sky itself was crying for him…

_Is this the right thing to do?_

Hakkai jolted upright. Why is he thinking of this now, when the plans were already in place? _I've come this far. I came all the way here to do what I have to do._ He sighed deeply and reached inside his clothes for something.

_No! Kanan wouldn't want me to do this!_

Hakkai stopped. His conscience was bothering him again.

_But you wanted to be with her…_

_Yes, but I'm sure she would have understood…_

_Would you rather suffer than be with her then, Hakkai?_

Hakkai was breathing heavily. He was confused. His emotions were tearing him apart. _But it's too late to turn back now. I have already made the choice._

_And who says you couldn't change your decisions? This is your life, Cho Hakkai. No one's going to do your choices for you. You have to do it on your own._

_But what about Kanan?_ His mind was screaming. _She needs me! _

_But what about you? And your friends? And Yaone? Don't waste your life. Live!_

"Live?" Hakkai whispered, the words unfamiliar to him. "With her blood on my hands?" _I can't live anymore. I've endured the pain for years now. I don't have a right to continue my life._

_No, Hakkai! Don't do this! Think about it! Your friends---the bonds that tied you all together---what about it? Hakkai!_

But Hakkai would no longer listen to reason. It was the realization of Kanan's blood on his hands that did it. He would have to go.

_I can't take this anymore. I need to finish this now._

He took out a small silver blade from underneath his clothes and stared at it. Tears were streaming silently down his face. He remembered all the adventures he had gone through with the rest of the Sanzo-ikkou. He remembered the many people he encountered who had touched his life. He remembered the many people who died…and he remembered Yaone…

With a quick breath Hakkai raised the dagger up in the air. He paused for a moment. _This is the end._ _I would have liked to stay, but…_He brought it down quickly, aiming for his own midsection. The sky seemed to fall silent, watching his every move…

Suddenly, something silver shot past Hakkai and hit the dagger. Metal to metal clashed, and the dagger flew out of his hands and fell down on the wet ground. Hakkai, surprised at the sudden turn of events, looked around to see who had stopped him.

"I did tell you dying won't change anything, Hakkai."

Hakkai stared. A figure was emerging from the shadows from one of the trees. He recognized that voice. It was Sanzo.

"Sanzo?"

The leaves behind Sanzo rustled, and out came Goku and Gojyo, panting slightly, but staring straight at Hakkai with a serious expression on their faces.

Hakkai stared at them for a moment. Then with great difficulty he turned away, trying to hide the tears that were now streaming nonstop down his cheeks. "What are you doing here?"

"What are we doing here? What are _you_ doing here?" Goku asked quietly.

"It's none of your business," Hakkai said bitterly. "Leave me alone." He turned away from them and headed towards the dagger.

"It _is _our business," Gojyo remarked. Hakkai stopped dead in his tracks. "Because we're your friends."

Hakkai laughed nervously. "I feel honored. Well then, as your friend, I am entitled to make my own decisions, right? And I have chosen mine. Please do not try to interfere."

Goku was surprised. "Your decision? You aren't even sure about it! Admit it, Hakkai, you want to live but you don't have the courage to!"

Hakkai rounded angrily at him. "You don't understand." He said quietly, tears streaming down his face. The rain was pouring harder now. "You don't understand."

"Of course we do," Sanzo replied coolly.

"You still haven't gotten over Kanan's death," Gojyo said quietly. "And you're still blaming yourself for it. Hakkai, listen, it's not the way she wants it to end. She wants you to go on with your life."

"No…" Hakkai was saying, his voice shaky. "You don't get it…"

"It's fate, Hakkai!" Goku said, looking straight at him. "Accept it and move on!"

Hakkai was trembling now, his vision a blur. "No…" _I…I still want to live, Kanan! But I'm longing to be with you again…_

"You deserve to live, Hakkai," Sanzo said quietly. "You deserve to go on with your life."

"No…" Hakkai was confused. He felt a longing to stop this insanity and continue their journey to the west. But then he felt a strong desire to see Kanan again…

"I DESERVE TO DIE!" Hakkai shouted, tears streaming down faster now. "I DESERVE TO---"

"---die…"

It all happened too fast. Before he could do anything, a spear hurtled out of the shadows and hit Hakkai right in the midsection. Hakkai looked surprised as he fell down, slowly, as if someone had set the frames in slow motion, on the cold, hard earth. He could hear movement around him, and voices calling his name. He looked down at himself. The spear had been thrown so accurately that a great amount of blood was already surrounding him. He looked up. The sky was engulfing him in its tears, silently washing away all the blood. His emerald green eyes were fast becoming a blur. He was breathing very hard. He could hardly feel anything at all. His pulse was already slowing down.

_I'm coming home, Kanan. Wait for me._

He smiled slightly at the dark clouds now hanging over him, feeling the rain falling down quietly, just like that same night in the woods...

_Someone else determined my destiny. _He slowly closed his eyes, smiling for the last time at the sky and waited for it to pass…

Author's note: How was it? Don't you think Hakkai was a bit different here? Sorry if this chapter is a bit shorter than the previous ones, and sorry too if the previous chapters weren't that good (I'm specifically referring to the 2nd chapter, I honestly think that was the worst chap I did.) I'm gonna work on the final installment soon, but before I do, I need to ask you guys a question: DO YOU WANT HAKKAI TO DIE? I've already got an idea but I'd like to hear your opinions first. Reviews please, and please read the ending…coming soon!

I might upload the finale next week, coz the exams are approaching and I do need to study. Thanks to all those who continue to read my fic; your positive reviews encouraged me so much!


	7. To the West Part I

Thank you very much to all those who read this fic up to the end, reviewed my first fic here in added my story (and me) to their favorites list and alerts list! I am really very happy to receive positive comments about my work; you guys have kept me smiling all day!

You know what, maybe I shouldn't have written about Hakkai getting that cold. I think he got mad and passed it onto me.

Hakkai: Serves you right.

me: Shaddup, Hakkai. (sniff)

Anyway, this is the final chapter of my story, part one. It was too long to fit in just one part, so I had to split it into two separate chapters. Hope you guys like it as much as I liked writing it. Enjoy and thank you!

DISCLAIMER: I do not –and unfortunately, never will- own Gensomaden Saiyuki, Saiyuki Reload, Saiyuki Reload Gunlock, Cho Hakkai, Genjyo Sanzo, Son Goku, Sha Gojyo, and any other stuff related to them, just as I would never own a Pentium 4 computer (sigh). I think I should stop now before I burst into tears.

**Chapter Seven: To the West Part I **

Hakkai stirred. _Where am I? _He could hear the sound of birds chirping from a faraway distance. The wind gently blew past him, ruffling his brown hair as it came. He slowly opened his eyes.

He was lying down on a grassy meadow, with the sun shining bright above him. He looked around. It seemed oddly familiar, and at the same time, different to him. There was something comfortable about the place, and strangely, something foreboding.

He slowly stood up and observed his surroundings. _If this is Heaven, it looks like a very nice place._ He closed his eyes again and felt the rush of the cold wind against his face. _How peaceful. If only she was with me, then this would be my paradise…_He smiled slightly at the thought of her and relived his past once again…

Suddenly Hakkai heard footsteps coming toward him. The green-eyed youkai slowly turned around.

"Cho…Cho Gono?"

It was a woman, wearing a white gown and with her brown hair blowing in the wind, standing not far away from him. She was looking at Hakkai with a confused expression on her face that quickly turned into a smile.

Hakkai blinked. He couldn't believe his eyes.

"Kanan?"

The woman nodded, staring at him.

At once Hakkai ran towards her, smiling happily, at the same time with tears flowing nonstop down his face. Kanan was crying too as they hugged each other under that bright and shining sun. The wind gently passed by them, quietly rustling the leaves as it came.

"It's been a long time," Hakkai managed to say in between tears. _She's finally here with me._

"I know," Kanan replied, smiling happily at him, her eyes still wet with tears. "It's been a very long time."

They stood there for quite some time, smiling happily in each other's arms.

* * *

"How are you doing?" Kanan asked. They were sitting under the shade of a large tree nearby. 

"I'm fine," Hakkai replied. He was looking out at the field. "How about you?"

"I'm okay," Kanan said.

Silence.

The wind blew strong against their faces. The sun, still shining brightly above them, continued to bask them in its rays. Hakkai looked contentedly at Kanan, and was surprised to see Kanan looking at him.

"What's the matter?"

Kanan smiled. "Nothing. I was just wondering if you're alright."

Hakkai looked taken aback. "I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

Kanan stayed quiet, avoiding his gaze. Then she spoke up. "Hakkai…are you sure about this?"

Hakkai was confused. "About what?"

"About you staying here with me."

Hakkai leaned back down, looking over at her. "I guess…it's the best decision I ever made."

Kanan smiled at him.

"Maybe."

* * *

Gojyo closed the door behind him and walked towards the kitchen. Sanzo and Goku were already there. They looked up at Gojyo as he entered. 

"How's Hakkai?" Sanzo asked, lighting up another cigarette. He looked tired.

"Same." Gojyo sat down on a chair and stared. "Nothing changed."

They were all quiet for some time, before Goku broke the silence.

"But didn't the doctor say he'll be alright by now?"

Gojyo sighed deeply. "Yes. But he wasn't sure if Hakkai's…going to be alright at all."

Goku's face fell. "Oh. So that means…" He hesitated. Gojyo was avoiding his gaze. Sanzo was not his usual cold self either.

"He's lost a lot of blood," Sanzo said quietly. He pulled another stick and started to light it. "And he's been in a coma for three days already."

"If he doesn't come out of it by tomorrow," Gojyo said slowly. He paused. It was too early to predict the outcome.

Gojyo stopped and stood up. "I'll be in my room," he said, leaving the kitchen as quickly as he came. Goku didn't even look up. Everyone was acting this way since they came back from the forest…

_The rain was closing all around them. Goku saw Hakkai falling, blood spurting out from his wound, down on the cold hard earth. _

"_Hakkai!"_

_Sanzo wasted no more time and turned around, squinting into the clearing. He heard movement behind the trees. He stared at it. Youkai was all around them. ._

_Why didn't we sense it earlier?_

_They were coming out from the shadows now. The Sanzo-ikkou were outnumbered, and with a comrade down and an even more urgent situation, time was something they couldn't afford to waste._

_Immediately Gojyo's shakujyo sliced the air and started taking down the youkai. His eyes were cast downward, not even bothering to look where he was aiming at. Goku was busily fighting youkai that was closing in on Hakkai. The shourejyu barked into the air, sending a couple down on the ground. No words were spoken, and if there were, they were carried by the wind into nothingness…_

_How they got back from the forest Gojyo didn't know. Nor any one of them for that matter. When they finally regained consciousness they placed Hakkai back in his room and waited for the darkness to pass._

Goku snapped back to reality. He realized that Gojyo's footsteps were gone. He turned to Sanzo.

"Sanzo?"

Sanzo didn't look up. His violet eyes were trying hard to concentrate on the newspaper he was now reading, but they weren't moving at all.

"If Hakkai goes…will we go on with our journey?"

Sanzo looked out the window, exhaling deeply. The bright morning sun didn't look at all inviting. Rather, it looked cold and dark.

He was quiet for a few minutes. Goku was about to turn away when Sanzo spoke.

"Yes. He… has already gone on his own."

* * *

Hakkai couldn't be better. Kanan was with him, and he felt at peace, a thing that he was denied of back in the past. He couldn't see how anyone would be so sad. 

But for some reason, Kanan was looking sadder than before.

"What's the matter, Kanan?" Hakkai's clear green eyes shone out at Kanan. He had a look of concern on his face.

Kanan looked out at the fields. "Hakkai…you must go back."

Hakkai was surprised. "What? But I thought I already died…"

Kanan shook her head. "No. You're only unconscious. Your friends have been taking care of you." She stared hard at him. "You need to go back."

Hakkai stood up. "Why?" He was avoiding her gaze, and his voice had a pained tone to it. "Don't you want me here?"

Kanan was taken aback. "No! It's not that! It's---"

"Then what's the matter?" Hakkai said, rounding on her with tears in his eyes. "I tried to be with you again…"

"I know," Kanan said. She was crying too. "But you must understand. It's not your time yet. Your friends are waiting for you. You need to go back."

Hakkai was silent. The wind blew past the two of them, gently rustling the leaves as it came. The wind, that felt so warm and comforting to him, suddenly felt cold and painful. The sun that for a moment seemed cheerful and warm turned black and filled him with dread. The sun…

Finally Hakkai turned around.

"Kanan…" he whispered, pain lingering in his voice. "I'll miss you."

Kanan smiled, eyes wet with tears. "I'll always be there for you, Hakkai. Just remember that."

Hakkai smiled at her, tears filling his emerald green eyes. "I will. I promise."

He hugged her for the last time, and with a final smile at her, a final wave, he took a deep breath and stepped out back into the sun…

Hakkai suddenly woke up. It was already midnight, and he thought the rest were already asleep. The rain was still pouring silently outside. He looked around. He was lying on a bed, bandages streaked with red hurriedly tied around his midsection. He sighed deeply and closed his eyes again. _Kanan. I'll never forget._

* * *

Inside his room Sanzo was sitting by the window, watching the rain fall down from the sky. He was in an extremely bad mood, and Hakkai's condition didn't help. He didn't know what tomorrow would bring, and if they will ever finish this journey with him. 

Gojyo was sitting down on his bed, smoking yet again. Everything seemed so abrupt and sudden. It didn't occur to him that he would be losing his best friend in such a short time.

_What are you talking about?_

He shook his head. It was stupid of him to think that way. _He hasn't given up yet. There's still a chance that he'll recover tomorrow._ He sighed deeply, trying to calm down. The rain was pouring harder still.

_But what if he does?_

Goku lay down on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. He knew that Gojyo and Sanzo were still awake. _Thinking about Hakkai's condition._ He was like a parent to him, always smiling, always kind. And he, Goku, being the naïve and stupid monkey that he is, always thought that Hakkai is okay.

_Dead wrong._

He pulled up the sheets and tried to sleep, the rain pounding on his window as the night wore on.

* * *

Finally the morning sun dawned, taking with it the rain and but not the pain of the past. Goku slowly trudged towards the kitchen, yawning widely. "What's for breakfast?" 

"Here. Oatmeal."

Gojyo pushed a small bowl of what looked like a thick lump of paste to Goku. Sanzo was sitting beside him, reading the papers, his own bowl untouched. Goku stared at it disgustingly.

"_This_ is supposed to be oatmeal? I'm not touching that! Remember what happened to Hakkai last time you tried to cook?"

He realized, too late, that this was not the right thing to say. Gojyo fell silent. Sanzo avoided their gaze and stared hard at his newspaper. They had remembered Hakkai again.

Gojyo cleared his throat and waved the spoon in front of Goku's face. "Well, get used to it, baka, until Hak—everything's fine you have to eat this stuff!" Gojyo paused, aware of his own mistake that he tried ever so hard to correct without the others noticing. "And no, there aren't any restaurants here!" He stomped towards the stove and tried to unstick all the oatmeal that was beginning to harden. For a couple of minutes there was silence. Finally Gojyo spoke up.

"Goku, check on Hakkai, will you?" he said quietly this time, his voice betraying no emotion.

"Okay." Goku rose up quickly and headed towards Hakkai's room. When he turned round the hallway Sanzo spoke.

"Today's the day."

"I know."

Gojyo was staring hard at the stove, not moving. Sanzo was looking down at the floor. They both knew that today may become the undoing of it all. Or the start of a new journey. Either way, everything will change…

Their thinking was cut short by the sound of footsteps running toward them. Sanzo glanced up, and was surprised to see Goku standing there, his hair a mess, looking very out of breath.

"What's the matter, saru?" Gojyo asked quietly, dreading the answer.

"It's Hakkai." Goku said urgently, gasping for air. "He's…"

* * *

**A/N**: Cliffhanger time! Part Two of this chap's coming next week, and hit the review button while you're at it! You know what, my birthday's next week (not kidding) and if it's not too much to ask please review! Thanks very much! 


	8. To the West Part II

To Anime-Freak713, my birthday will be on July 18. Thanks for the review and happy birthday too!

Oh yeah, and sorry for the late update. I had writer's block, test anxiety, school stress, and not to mention the end of Saiyuki Reload Gunlock. You can imagine just how traumatizing that is. On the other hand, Animax Philippines will air Saiyuki Reload again!

Anyway, this is the final part of the last chapter. Hope you guys enjoy this too, and thanks very much for all the support.

**DISCLAIMER**: I don't own Saiyuki in the real world, but if this was an alternate universe I do. (I don't know _why_ I have to keep repeating this; the truth is extremely painful.)

**Chapter Seven: To the West Part II**

_Their thinking was cut short by the sound of footsteps running toward them. Sanzo glanced up, and was surprised to see Goku standing there, his hair a mess, looking very out of breath._

"_What's the matter, saru?" Gojyo asked quietly, dreading the answer._

"_It's Hakkai." Goku said urgently, gasping for air. "He's…"_

"He's what?" Sanzo demanded. His amethyst eyes were boring into Goku's golden ones.

"He's gone," Goku said quietly. "He left."

There was a deafening silence for a few minutes. The wind blew stronger through the open window, catching the early morning dew as it went. Then Gojyo buried his face into his arms. Sanzo dropped his gaze, instead staring outside the window again. They have been expecting this. But it was, nevertheless, still hard to accept. _With that wound he would have chosen to go on…_

Goku scratched his head, looking puzzled. "What's the matter? Aren't we gonna find him?"

"You're so naïve, you know that?" Gojyo said quietly, his head lowered.

"I'm not naïve!" Goku said angrily. "Well, maybe I am," he added as an afterthought, "but not _that _naïve! And why are you reacting like that, anyway? It's not like he died!"

Gojyo's head shot up so fast that Goku nearly backed away in surprise, at the same time that Sanzo's eyes snapped back to face Goku.

"What do you mean he's not dead?"

Goku looked startled. "He isn't. I just said that he's gone. Not in his room."

Gojyo uttered a loud sigh of exasperation and angrily rounded on Goku. "YOU IDIOT! YOU HAD US WORRIED THERE!"

Sanzo was equally, if not more, angry. His hand reached under his infinite spandex space and out came the harisen. It did its job in a split second.

"BAKASARU! YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD US THAT IN A PLAINER WAY!"

"Itai yo! Well, I told the truth, didn't I?" Goku complained, rubbing his head. "So, are we gonna find him?"

Gojyo sighed again, his vein already throbbing. "What do _you_ think?"

In a few minutes they were out, heading out into a new day, their hearts a bit lighter than last night's.

* * *

Meanwhile Hakkai sat down at the edge of a lake nearby. His wound had partially healed, and he stared at the drops of blood swirling against the clear blue waters. The wind swept past him, cooling his face as it went.

He had already been down there for an hour without speaking a word. He enjoyed the cool breeze and the sound of silence overwhelming him. The clouds looked familiar to him, and he could somehow make out the figure of a green jeep with four people on board, one at the wheel, turning towards his companions; another one beside him, busily trying to ignore the noise made by two other people at the back, who were obviously fighting. Hakkai chuckled. _How very similar._

His train of thought was disturbed by a rustling in the leaves. He turned around.

Sanzo was standing there along with Gojyo and Goku. They were looking at him with a slightly relieved expression on their faces.

"Hakkai! We found you at last! You shouldn't be here you know, you're still injured!" Goku said all of this in under two seconds.

Hakkai smiled at them. "Sorry." He turned back toward the lake, staring at the ripples that were fast disappearing, his eyes transfixed.

For a moment there was silence, with each one of them not knowing what to do. Suddenly Sanzo walked over to where Hakkai was, sat down, and remained silent.

"San…zo?" Hakkai was surprised. It was unlike Sanzo to waste time like this. _Very_ unlike him.

Gojyo slowly walked over and followed suit. Soon all four of them were staring at the lake, not speaking a word. The wind blew past them, and the clouds were racing against each other to reveal a beautiful blue sky.

For a few seconds there was silence.

"Sorry if I worried you. I was confused with my life, that's all."

The three of them were startled. It was Hakkai who had spoken. It was kind of unnerving to hear him speak his mind truthfully this time. The spell that Gojyo and Goku had wished for had already reached the time limit.

"I just wanted to see her again…" Hakkai continued quietly. He paused, watching the birds atop a tree beside them. "I'm sorry." He stared hard again at the lake, his eyes betraying no emotion.

Gojyo looked over at him, knowing that Hakkai didn't want to explain any further. "It's alright. Can't be helped anyway."

"Just forget about it," Goku said cheerfully.

"As I said, dying won't change anything," Sanzo added quietly. "Will you please remember that? I'm getting tired of having to repeat that everytime it rains."

Hakkai laughed. "Of course."

"Really?" Goku asked.

Hakkai paused, staring quietly out towards the lake. The peace that bound him was so addicting. _Kanan was right. Life is still worth living._ The wind blew past all of them, messing up their hair as it came. The sun shone blindingly above them as the morning started to demonstrate its presence.

Hakkai turned back to Goku, a genuine smile forming on his face.

"I mean it."

They sat there for quite some time, admiring the early morning and the beauty of the lake, before Sanzo gave up and went back in.

* * *

A couple of days after Hakkai's quick recovery and they were back on the road. The sun was burning hot above them and all around was trees and rocky terrain. As usual, Goku and Gojyo were already bickering in the back.

"Are we there yet, Hakkai?" Goku moaned. "I'm so hungry!"

"Urusai, bakasaru!" Gojyo shouted. "We just ate!"

"But that was five minutes ago! I'm still hungry!"

"Shut up or I'll kill you both," Sanzo declared, death-glaring them. Hakkai chuckled.

"Calm down, we're nearly there." He turned back to his driving and suddenly braked, causing Goku and Gojyo to nearly tumble out of the jeep.

"OW! Move over, kappa!" Goku complained, kicking Gojyo out of the way.

"Hakkai, would you _please_ warn us before you do a stunt, okay?" Gojyo whined, rubbing his head.

"Sumimasen, it was an emergency." Hakkai said, smiling apologetically. He turned back on the road. "Oh dear…"

"It's them again," Sanzo sighed, looking straight ahead.

Goku and Gojyo turned around to look. There was smoke in the clearing, and when it had gone they could see the silhouettes of four figures.

The Kougaiji-tachi was back, Lirin in tow. Beside her was Dokugakuji, sword in hand, and next to him, clutching a small bomb, was Yaone.

"Hey, nice effects, Yaone-san! New model?" Gojyo asked, pointing to the bomb in Yaone's hands.

Yaone smiled at them. "Hai."

Kougaiji stepped forward and glared at Sanzo. "We've come for the Sutra, Sanzo."

"We know," Goku said impatiently, cutting himself in between Kougaiji and Sanzo. "Can we just get this over with? I'm hungry!"

They split up into groups. Gojyo vs. Dokugakuji, Sanzo vs. Lirin, Goku vs. Kougaiji and Hakkai vs. Yaone. Sanzo muttered, "What a bother," and tossed some meatbuns to Lirin, who ate it up at once without saying a word. Then he sat down in the jeep and waited for the fight to end.

Goku was already having a great time, dodging Kougaiji's attacks and landing some of his own. Gojyo looked like he was having fun, chatting with Dokugakuji while avoiding his sword. He swerved to the right, just in time before he nearly got hit. "Nice one, Dokugakuji!"

"Don't underestimate me," was the quick reply.

Yaone, with spear in hand, looked over at Hakkai, who was busily watching the others fight. A slight "Ehem!" caught Hakkai's attention, and he quickly turned back to Yaone.

"Sumimasen, Yaone-san, I—" Hakkai gasped. He slowly closed his eyes and blinked.

_No way._

He opened his eyes and closed them shut again.

_Kanan?_

Hakkai was surprised. When he had turned around to face Yaone, he was shocked to see Kanan staring right at him. Kanan, not Yaone…

Suddenly Hakkai remembered Kanan's words when they were back at the fields…

"_I'll always be there for you, Hakkai. Just remember that."_

"_I will. I promise."_

_Hakkai slowly moved away from her, longing deeply etched in his green-eyed gaze. He was about to turn away when she called._

"_Hakkai?"_

_He turned to face her. She was smiling._

"_I need to tell you something."_

"_What is it?"_

"_I've been reincarnated. Earlier than you expect."_

"_Will I be seeing you, then?" Hakkai asked, a renewed hope springing up inside him._

_Kanan smiled at him. "You already have."_

Suddenly Hakkai was brought back to the present by the sound of bombs exploding right beside him. He quickly dodged it and turned to face who threw it.

"Finally you're awake. I had to use three bombs to wake you up."

It was Yaone. She was smiling at him. _Almost the same smile that Kanan used to wear_.

"Sumimasen, Yaone-san…" Hakkai apologized. He couldn't think of anything else to say.

"It's okay, but let's fight seriously this time," Yaone said, still smiling. "Don't worry, I'll go easy on you."

Hakkai looked out to the west. The sun had already started to set. For a while he stood there, gazing out at the sun, his green eyes twinkling from under his monocle. Finally he turned back to face Yaone. He smiled at her. "Shall we start?"

* * *

Finally, I've done it! Thanks so much for reading up to this part. I hope the ending didn't really disappoint, but I decided not to kill Hakkai off, I just couldn't bring myself to do it! I didn't really want a tragic ending to this story coz I wanted it to be a light drama fic. And that stuff about Yaone really being the reincarnated version of Kanan was something that suddenly came to mind. I might come back and add another chapter to this story, set a few days after the ending here. Hope it was a nice ending anyway.

Thank you to all who reviewed or read this story. I really appreciate it.

**INDNJC**

**In Nomine Domini Nostri Jesu Christi**

**In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ**

**Mind Readers **by **_midori hakkai._ Year 2005.**

**END**


	9. Mind Readers: Epilogue

Konnichiwa, minna-san! I know I've already finished the story, but I feel that it's still incomplete if Hakkai doesn't know what Goku and Gojyo wished for, right? This is just a short piece to show more of Hakkai's…not-that-good side.

This chapter's sort of an optional chapter. I don't intend to mess with the ending by writing this part. If you liked the ending as it is, then don't read this. If you want to find out how Hakkai reacted when he found out about the wish, please continue.

Please read and review, and thanks so much to all those who did!

**Mind Readers: AN EPILOGUE**

"Ne, Hakkai, how long till the next town?" Goku asked, whining loudly. "Need…food…will…die…"

"Shut up…" Gojyo said weakly. "It's bad enough that we're on an extremely bumpy road."

"Don't worry, Goku, we're getting there." Hakkai replied with his usual cheery smile.

They were back on the road, still heading to the west. The sun was still burning hot today, and Hakuryu was struggling to continue and lead them out of that vast and seemingly endless place, rocks strewn alongside the roads. Goku had already consumed half of the food supply meant to last for two weeks. Not that Hakkai expected it to last two weeks. In fact, it was already quite a miracle for the food to last even a week.

"Hurry up," Sanzo ordered Hakkai. "It's hot."

"Maa maa, we're nearly there," Hakkai repeated, breaking out into a smile. He turned his attention back to the steering wheel as the two behind him continued complaining about the heat. Hakkai himself was already burning up under the pressure, and their noise was almost already unbearable.

"Hot! It's too hot! And I'm hungry! Sanzo! I'm—gonna—die!"

"Urusai, bakasaru! It's best if you die!"

"Sanzo, how can you say that? Harahetta!"

"Just shut up! Hakkai, step on it, the monkey's about to die."

"Minna-san, I'm trying, but---"

"Why you dirty cockroach! Hakkai, the kappa's about to dry up!"

"Now, Goku, don't---"

"Aargh! LET GO OF ME YOU STUPID COCKROACH!"

"NOT UNTIL YOU TAKE THAT BACK!"

"I WON'T!"

"TAKE THAT BACK!"

"NO!"

"I SAID 'TAKE---' "

"URUSAI! SHI-NE!"

A single gunshot was heard in that vast space of nothingness. Goku immediately sat down properly, staring smugly at Gojyo who was glaring at him with those bloodred eyes. Sanzo lowered his shourejyu and put it back in his pocket.

Hakkai smiled a bit as the noise died down. He concentrated on getting them out of there as soon as possible, and he didn't want anyone to exhort him to push Hakuryu to the limit. Poor thing, he thought, Hakuryu hasn't eaten and he's not feeling well either…

"Hakkai."

"Yes, Sanzo?"

"Get us out of here. Fast."

Hakkai sighed, a vein threatening to throb from the side of his face. "I'll try."

"Don't just try, do it!" the blond monk muttered angrily.

"Hai hai."

Why can't they wait for it? I said we're nearly there, Hakkai thought to himself, an annoyed expression slowly forming on his face, which he immediately corrected and turned back to his normal self. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and, with a whispered apology to Hakuryu, stepped on the accelerator at full blast.

"Oi, Hakkai! Slow down!" Gojyo shouted, clinging on the side of the jeep, the force of the wind suddenly blowing against his face making him nearly fall out of the jeep again.

"Sumimasen, minna-san! This is the best way we can get out of here quickly!" Hakkai shouted back, his eyes narrowing as they focused on the road. "Hold on tight!"

The group readily obeyed him as Hakkai pushed the jeep on some more, Goku looking like he was about to throw up, and Sanzo still sitting emotionless as ever but one could see that his face had turned a bit paler than usual.

"There! I see some plain open space; that must be the village!" Hakkai shouted again, his voice drowned by the ferocious howling of the wind hurtling past them. "We're almost there! Wait…oh no…"

Hakkai turned pale and quickly slammed—hard—on the brakes. The sudden change in speed was too much for Goku and Gojyo to handle. Goku stumbled forward and landed down on the ground painfully. Gojyo was unluckier; he was _thrown _forward with great force that he skidded inches before finally coming to a halt.

Sanzo was no better. Much to the high-ranked monk's dismay (and complete and utter humiliation), he earned the same fate as Goku, though not quite as noisy. He landed on the ground with a soft thump. His purple eyes were looking dangerous now, and certainly very deadly.

"What was that for, Hakkai?" he spat, trying to keep his cool. He always tried to talk decently with the brown-haired youkai, and today was no exception.

"Well…" Hakkai began, shifting uncomfortably in his seat (he was the only one who remained in the jeep.). He was not sure how he could say it without flaring Sanzo's already volcanic temper. "You should've worn your seatbelt, I keep telling you to…"

"That's not the point," Sanzo replied.

"Well, there's a cliff, you see…" Hakkai answered weakly, gesturing towards their front. Sanzo looked down. There was a river just below them, and on the other side of the bank was a small village.

"So we'd have to go down and reach the other end?" Sanzo asked coldly.

"It seems so," Hakkai replied, ignoring Sanzo's tone of voice. "Well, I think we can make it, it's not too far down."

"Itai yo!" Goku moaned, standing up slowly, a hand grasping his right arm. "Hakkai, I think I've broken something, look."

"That's nothing," Gojyo retorted, standing up beside Goku and showing him his right arm, which was bleeding badly. "See?"

"Maa maa, minna-san, let's just sort this peacefully now, shall we?" Hakkai said slowly, trying his best to calm them down.

"But this is too much! We wouldn't have been thrown out if it wasn't for your incessant whining, you stupid bakasaru!" Gojyo yelled, pointing accusingly at Goku.

"Whaat? It was your fault in the first place! You were pushing Hakkai too far!" Goku replied angrily, death-glaring Gojyo.

"I didn't! It was Sanzo!" Gojyo answered, now pointing at the dumbstruck monk slowly getting to his feet. "He was saying, 'Get us out of here, or else' or something like that. It was _his_ fault!"

Sanzo glared at the two of them angrily, his amethyst eyes flashing dangerously. "And you blame me for your own stupidity? Everything was your fault! We would have been in the next town already if you two didn't make that stupid wish!"

Hakkai stared at the three of them. "What wish?"

"The wish!" Goku sputtered, flailing his arms wildly, at a loss for words. "The one where we wished we could read your mind for a week!"

"If _you_ didn't go and make that stupid wish, we wouldn't have been delayed unnecessarily!" Sanzo replied harshly, glaring at Gojyo.

"But if I didn't make that wish Hakkai would have been in danger!" Gojyo said defensively, looking at Goku for support. "Then he wouldn't have been here, standing next to us and—and…oh…"

Gojyo gulped. Beside him Goku suddenly realized what they had done. Sanzo turned a bit pale but tried to hide it all the same. They all looked at Hakkai.

Hakkai had his back turned away from them, staring out at the west. It was quiet for a few minutes.

Finally Goku broke the silence.

"Ehm…Hakkai, you're not mad, are you?"

The green-eyed youkai turned his head to face Goku when he spoke. "Oh no, not at all." He flashed them a smile.

Gojyo turned paler at this. _Oh no. He's mad. I don't like that smile. And his monocle's flashing dangerously. I. Don't. Like. This._

"It was for your own good, you know," Gojyo said carefully, not daring to steal a glance at Hakkai, who was silently climbing back on the jeep.

"I thought so." Hakkai said casually, turning on Hakuryu's engine.

"Well then," Gojyo added hastily, trying to steer the conversation far away from Hakkai as much as possible, "I think we can jump this cliff. It's not too far down, and there's a river below, we could land in it safely." He looked over the side of the cliff as he spoke.

"I guess you're right." _Click._

"Yeah, I—OI!"

Suddenly something metallic and green shot past Gojyo, who was teetering off the edge of the cliff, nearly knocking him down. He shouted, flailing his arms wildly, before finally regaining his balance and collapsing down on the ground.

"What was that?" he shouted, breathing heavily. He stared at Goku's dumbstruck face, then at Sanzo. Finally he looked around for Hakkai.

"Hakkai?"

Hakkai gripped the steering wheel tightly, his eyes flashing dangerously. He backed the jeep into the clearing and stopped.

"What were you trying to do? Run me off the cliff?" Gojyo demanded, getting to his feet. Beside him Goku stood wordlessly, Sanzo still expressionless.

Hakkai didn't answer. He avoided the others' gazes as his eyes focused on the cliff before him.

"Well? It's lucky you avoided me!" Gojyo said.

Hakkai looked up at him and flashed an almost apologetic smile. He gripped the wheel tightly again as he shifted gear.

"Let's try harder, shall we?"

He stepped on the accelerator just as Gojyo was yelling for him to stop and Goku was wide-eyed. Before they knew it he rammed straight into the cliff, the others jumping in time to avoid the massive green jeep hurtling towards them.

Unfortunately, since they were all panic-stricken, they accidentally jumped right _into_ the cliff.

"Hakkai!"

It happened slowly. Hakkai saw the panicked looks on his companions' faces, dead serious they were, and he couldn't help but laugh. He took one hand off the steering wheel, grabbed Gojyo by the collar, and dropped him in the back seat. Then he urged Hakuryu to swerve to the right (in midair!) and in landed Goku and Sanzo.

Finally Hakuryu landed on solid ground, bouncing up wildly before it finally maintained its pace. Hakkai slowed down to a halt and turned to look behind him. He nearly laughed.

Sanzo was lying in between Goku and Gojyo, with an expression that clearly spelled death to anyone who dared to see him in that manner. He immediately glared at Hakkai, who was already immune to it, so it didn't really work on him. Goku was whining incessantly, pushing himself to the side, and Gojyo was looking extremely sick.

"What was that for, Hakkai?" Gojyo thundered, furious at a cheerful-looking Hakkai. "You nearly killed us!"

"Nothing," Hakkai laughed, watching Sanzo furiously stomping off to his own seat. "I just felt like it."

Smiling, he turned back to the road and hit the accelerator, his eyes twinkling as he drove.

_Don't underestimate me._

They went off at full speed, staring at another new sunset as they went.

_Towards the west._

* * *

Finally! This story is now officially complete. I might take a break from doing fics for a while; I'm having a hard time thinking of good plots. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this one. I just felt Hakkai should be a little mean sometimes, and this is just a revision of what I originally planned! I actually considered Hakkai running them over enough for the others to spend days in the hospital, but I thought that's probably too much, ne?

Thanks so much for supporting my story. Hope to hear from you soon!

**In Nomine Domini Nostri Jesu Christi**

**In the Name of Our Lord Jesus Christ**

**Mind Readers: Epilogue** by **midori hakkai**

**Year 2005**

**END**


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